"Is someone on an open channel to Captain Chang?" Jackson asked.

"Yes, sir," a com operator spoke up from his left. "I'll be relaying your orders, Admiral."

"Let's get to it then." Jackson stood and looked at the main display that showed a top-down view of the system. "Order Alpha Squadron to bunch up. The lead ships are too far out and too fast. I want the lead ships braking to let the stragglers catch up before we steer them back down towards Xinjia.

"Bravo Squadron is a complete mess. The three ships out on their own need to turn back in and rejoin their formation. Have the squadron regroup and hold their position just outside the orbit of the fifth planet.

"Charlie is actually doing okay, but they're missing an opportunity. That group of cruisers shadowing them is out of position and moving too fast to recover quickly. I want a hard braking maneuver, and then come down hard onto those cruisers. Once they're in range, let them have it."

"They're actually not doing a terrible job, are they, sir?" Hawkins asked.

"Not really," Jackson agreed. "They just need to take that final last step and fully engage, but there are only a handful of their ships completely out of position."

To their credit, the response from the ESA ships was nearly immediate after Jackson's orders were passed on through Captain Chang after taking into account the com lag. The two squadrons that had been getting pushed up into the outer system bunched back up into some sort of formation, which let them work together and drive back downhill towards Xinjia.

The third squadron, now operating on clear directives to counterattack, tore into Kohl's ships like a pack of hyenas. The enemy cruisers, likely lulled by the extended period of inaction from the Xinjian ships, were taken by surprise. Charlie Squadron closed the distance quickly and had engaged before Kohl's ships could mount a response.

They didn't get any kills, but they scored six direct hits and caused significant damage to three ships before the cruisers called no-joy and fled. The newer, more powerful ships pulled away from Charlie Squadron, but their absence cleared the way for Bravo Squadron to work back down.

Within eight hours, Jackson had the Xinjian ships working together within their squadrons, and the squadrons maneuvering towards an ultimate goal of setting up a blockade of the planet Kohl would have to waste ships and spacers to get past. For the enemy's part they, at first, seemed confused by the sudden change in tactics, then pulled back after Charlie Squadron bloodied their nose.

Jackson knew Kohl sat in a similar space at that moment, watching what was happening and devising a counter strategy. This would be the first real contest between the two where Kohl didn't start out with a heavy advantage.

"Captain Ellsworth is asking for updated orders, Admiral," a com operator said.

"Tell the Saber to hold fast," Jackson said. "If we do this right, Bravo Squadron will eventually push a group of enemy ships right at them. When they get into range, the taskforce is clear to engage. Tell him I suggest he lets them overfly them, and then pursue from the lower orbit."